Internal-combustion engine



C. F. KETTERING. I

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATlON FILED FEB. s. 1917.

Patented June 7, 1921.

N m s s E R p m o c CHARLES E. KETTERING, OE DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, EYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO DELCO-LIGIIT COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

INTERNAL-GOMBUSTTON ENGINE.

Application filed February 5, 1917.

To (ZZZ to 710m it mag concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. KETTER- me, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in internal combustion andexplosion en gines.

One of the objects of the present inven tion is to provide means foreliminating the ejection of gases from the crank case of the enginedirectly to the atmosphere.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for theelimination of the ejec tion of gases from the crank case of the enginedirectly to the atmosphere by utilizing these gases in forming a part ofthe fuel charges which are delivered to the combustion chamber of theengine.

Prior to the present invention, it has been the practice, in someinstances, to provide the crank case of a single cylinder engine with abreather tube having a check valve therein adapted to open in responseto pres sure from the crank case chamber during the down strokes of thepiston. During the up strokes of the piston, the valve is closed so thatair cannot enter thecrank case cham ber through the breather tube.However, owing to the partial vacuum created in the crank case chamberduring the up strokes of the piston, a small quantlty of air will, un-

der ordinary conditions, be sucked through the bearings or other partsof the crank case,

and be subsequently discharged to the atmosphere through the breathertube when the valve opens during the down strokes of the piston. Such abreather tube has the ad-- vantage that it prevents the entrance of dustand other material to the crank case during the up strokes of thepiston, and that it prevents the escape of oil through the bearings atall times, but it has the disadvantage that it discharges noxious gasesand smoke directly to the atmosphere. Where the engine is operatedindoors. this is very ob- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1921.

Serial NO. 146,825. I

jectionable if not actually dangerous to the health of the attendant.

The preferred form of the present invention comprises a breather tubeconnected with the crank case chamber and having a valve adapted tooperate in a manner similar to that of the prior breather tube so far asthe prevention of the entrance of dust'to, and the escape of oil from,the crank case is concerned. The breather tube, beyond the valve,constitutes a reservoir and is of sufficient capacity to hold or store,substantially at atmospheric pressure, the gases or smoke dischargedinto it from the crank case chamber. It has communication with theengine intake and also, at a remote point, with the atmosphere, thearrangement being such that during the suction stroke atmospheric air isdrawn into the breather tube where it mixes with the gaseous contentsthereof and this mixture then passes, under the influence of the enginesuction, into the engine cylinder to be consumed and eventuallydischarged to the atmosphere as part of the exhaust gases. Thus, bystoring the noxious gases and smoke in the breather tube and thenscavenging the latter at each suction stroke of the engine, in themanner described, the present invention provides a simple and efiicientmeans for disposing of objectionable gases and smoke and at the sametime retains the important advantage of prior breathers in preventingthe escape of oil through the bearings of the crank case.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein one preferred form of the present invention is clearlyillustrated.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine embodying the presentinvention, certain parts of the engine being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the valve mechanism shown in section in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic showing of the engine embodying the presentinvention. each ofthe successive parts of this figure the presentinstance is shown as having but a single cylinder. This, however, is notintended as a limitation, as this type of engine has simply beenselected for purposes of illustration.

The numeral 21 designates the crank shaft v of the engine, carrying theconnectingrod 22, to which is secured the piston 23 in the usual manner.This piston reciprocates in the engine cylinder 24.

The crank case of the engine is adapted to contain suitable oil forlubricating purposes, and this oil may be distributed by a systemsimilar to that disclosed and claimed in the patent to Ernest Dickey,1,271,140,

dated July 2, 1918.

The numeral 25 indicates a tube'resembling the old type of so-calledbreather tube which has a valve that permits the gases in .the crankcase chamber to escape upon each downward stroke of the piston.

It is well understood, in the operation of combustion engines, that apart of the products of combustion in the explosion chamber of theengine seeps by the piston and gathers in the crank case chamber of theengine. Heretofore it has been the practice to allow these gases toescape through the breather tube to the atmosphere, but where the engineis actuated indoors, this is very injurious, if not actually dangerous,due to the composition of the escaping gases.

Therefore, in the present invention, the gases from the crank case ofthe engine are permitted to pass out .of the crank case chamber, but areconveyed to the intake or inlet header 28", where they form a part ofthe next successive fuel charge taken into the cylinder of the engine.

In the form of the invention shown in the drawing, the breather tube orunit comprises a tube or pipe 25, mounted on the crank case 26, so as tocommunicate with the interior of said case, through the opening 27, theinterior of said case being referred to herein as the crank. casechamber. The

opposite end of this tube is connected to the outer casing 29, which isprovided with a series of openings as indicated by the numeral 30, forthe purpose of permitting (iiresh airto be drawn into the enginecyliner. V

In the present form of the invention, the main air intake comprises theopenings 30, above referred to. That is, the air which is taken into thecombustion chamber, as forming a part of the 'fuel charge, is suckedthrough these openings by the suction stroke of the piston 23, as Willbe described hereinafter. The gas or fuel intake is designated by thenumeral 28, which communicates with the Venturi tube 28, which of coursebroadly speaking, the passage through the inlet header28 and the mixingvalve co m bined may be considered asthe engine 1ntake.

Inorder to vary the relative proportions of air and gas forming thefuel-charge, to compensate for change in temperature or load conditions,a butterfly valve 31 18 formed in the element 42, and is adapted to bemanually adjusted so as to control theflow of air from the breather tubeto the combustion chamber of the eng ne.

An inner casing consistlng of a tube or pipe 32 is concentricallymounted within the outer casing 29,'0ne end thereof being supported bymeans of the element 33. Ad acent to the upper end of the tube 25, thereis provided an automatically actuated valve 35. This valve comprises asits movable element a disk of any suitable material. As herein shown, adisk of felt 36 is' secured to the metallic disk 37 and tends tonormally seat on the ring 38, which in turn is mounted between the tworings of felt 39 and 40.

This assembly of the two felt rings 39 and 40, and the metallic ring 38,is held 1n place between the end of the element 33 and a shoulder 41,formed adjacent to the upper end of the tube 25.

The opposite end of the outer casing 29 is secured to the element 42, asat 43, while the inner tube or casing 32 is connectedvto saidelement, sothat the opening of said tube lies in direct alinement with the opening44 of the said element.

Adjacent to the end of the inner tube, whichconnects with the element42, a series of openings 45 are provided for the purposes hereinafterset forth.

The passage through the inlet header 28 is the engine intake, though,-

when combined with a four-stroke cycle en- I gine, commonly known as'afour cycle engine, such as is shown in the accompanying drawing, will beas follows:

Supposing that the engine is brought into operation and that the firststroke of the piston will be its explosion stroke. That is, it is wellunderstood that engines of the four-cycle type have a determined cycleof operation, which includes, first, the explo sion stroke, second, theexhaust stroke, third, the intake or suction stroke, and fourth, thecompression stroke.

During the course of the explosion stroke, the piston will traveldownward, as indicated by the arrow in part A of Fig. 3, and thisdownward stroke of the piston will have a determined displacement of airor of any gathered smoke and gases in the crank case chamber, therebytending to force these gases through the opening 27, against the movableelement of the'valve 35. This will immediately cause the movable elementof the valve to rise and permit the gas and smoke to escape through thevalve opening to the inner casing 32.

The internal contents of the inner and outer casings 32 and 29 of thebreather tube or unit is of a substantial amount, and preferably thisamount is greater than the cubical displacement of the piston throughoutits complete downward stroke. It will therefore be seen that as the gasand smoke from the crank case chamber passes into the breather tube, aportion of said gases will tend to seep through the openings 45, formedin the inner casing 32.

However, inasmuch as there is no pressure on these gases after thecompletion of the explosion stroke of the piston, the valve 35, willtend to close as soon as the piston starts on its upward or exhauststroke.

Therefore, the gas and smoke within the breather tube will remain inertor dormant as shown in part B of Fig. 3, or Will move with such slownessthat before the gas and smoke reaches the openings 30, formed in theouter casing of the breather tube, the exhaust stroke of the piston willhave been completed and the intake stroke of the piston commenced.

On the intake or suction stroke, as is shown in part C of Fig. 3, theinlet valve 46 in the inlet header is opened, and at the same time dueto the displacement of the downward stroke of the mston, the pressure ofthe gases within the crank case will force the valve 35 to be opened inthe same man .ner as described for the explosion stroke.

Therefore, a direct suction will be created on the gas and smokecontained within the breather tube, and inasmuch as the air inlet forthe carburation of the fuel is through the perforations or openings 30,formed in theouter casing 29, a flow of fresh air will be sucked throughthe openings 30 and thus tend to drive all of the gases upward into theinlet header, and thence to the combustion chamber.

From the above description, it will be seen that at the conclusion ofthe intake stroke, the breather tube will be substantially clear of thesmoke and gas the same having been sucked. into the combustion chamberof the engine, together with the usual charge of air and gas.

The next successive stroke of the piston will be the upward compressionstroke, and during this movement of the piston, the valve 35 will beclosed, as will also the inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder head.

The same sequence of operation as that described above will take placeduring each of the successive cycles of operation of the engine, and ithas been proven, by experi ments that substantially all escape of thegas and smoke from thecrank case chamber of the engine, directly to theatmosphere, is eliminated. It is also found that during the up strokesof the piston, the valve 35 being closed, a partial vacuum is created inthe crank case chamber, which under ordinary conditions will cause asmall quantity of air to be sucked in through the hearings or otherparts of the crank case thus preventing the escape of lubricating oilfrom the crank case.

While the operation described above is directed to engines of the fourcycle type, it should be clearly understood that this is not to beconsidered as a limitation in any respect, inasmuch as the invention isequally applicable to engines of different cycle of operation, whereinnoxious fumes or gases tend to gather in the crank case chamber of theengine and are displaced by the operation of the engine piston to theatmosphere.

It will be observed that the operation of the breather tube hereindescribed, so far as the external characteristics are concerned, isessentially a breathing operation, since it alternately inhales andexhales air through the openings 30. Beginning with the intake orsuction stroke of the piston, fresh air is drawn or inhaled into thebreather tube through the openings 30, thereby scavenging the tube ofany noxious gases and smoke previously received from the crank casechamber. This is followed by an almost imperceptible pause as the valves46 and 35 close and the piston moves upwardly on its compression stroke.Then comes the explosion stroke during which a volume of noxious gasesis ejected or expelled from the crank case chamber into the innercasingof the breather tube, as previously described, thereby displacingor pushing ahead of it a corresponding volume of fresh air which escapesfrom the outer casing of the breather tube through the openings 30,causing the should be understood, further, t

readily 'com tube, the leakage into the crank case chamber, and otherfactors. It Will be evident that the volume of air exhaled from thebreather tube is no larger than the volume of gas received from thecrank case chamber,

, and, when the volume of gas received'from the'crank case chamberis-small the pressure will not be raised high enough in a breathertubeof large volume to cause a very pronounded exhalation. By increasingthe area of the openings 30the exhalations can be made still lesspronounced, and, indeed, with certain adjustments of the mechanicalrelations the exhalation can be rendered scarcely perceptible if notentirely suppressed. The volume of gas expelled from the crank casechamber represents theleakage of combustion gases past the piston and ofair through the bearings and other parts of the crank case. Ordinarilythis is small, but as is evident, it will vary greatly with differenttypes of engines, the kinds of pistons and bearings used, and theireneral condition. Thus, with certain types 0 engines in which the volumeof gas expelled from the crank case chamber is very small, it ispossibleto reduce the volume of the-breather tub's accordingly. In theparticular construction 'illustrated, the breather tube is said to bepreferably of greater volume then the cubical displacement of'the'piston throughout its complete downward stroke, but it should beunderstood that this is not intended in any sense as a limitation, itbeing evident that the breather tube need only be large enough. involume to store all the gas received fi'om the crank case chamberbetweensuccessive/engine suction strokes, as herein explained, and that whenthe volume of gas received from the crank case chamber is small, thebreather tube may likewise be made of small capacity.

In the foregoing description, the term breather tube or unit has beenused, in its limited sense, to indicate the connections between thecrank case chamber and the come bustion chamber but'it should beunderstood that 'in its broader sense it describes the elongated airpassage'or conduit into which the noxious gases are injected and storedbetween suction strokes of the iston. It at in the use ofthis term inthe-present application, no limitatlon is intended, as to the particu'lar shape or configuration'of the breathertube or the passage, it beingevident that any suitable form may be used, other than which willoperate in the manner herein described, s i It should also be understoodthat while only a single cylinder engine is shown in the drawn the'present invention can be med with engines having any number ofcylinders.

g Wh le he form of mechanism .herein' or hold dormant,

shown and described constitutes a preferred embodiment of one form ofthe invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted,and various changes and alterations made in the shape, size, andproportion of the elements therein, without departing from the spiritand scopeof the invention.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fourcycle engine of the type wherein the flow through the en gine intake isintermittent provided with a combustion chamber and a crank case chamberand having a piston operable relative to said chambers; of a breathertube connected to said engine and having provisions for permitting thegases dlsplaced from thecrank case chamber by the suction and explosionstrokes of the piston to pass into said breather tube and to then passfrom said breather tube to the combustion chamber on the suctionstroke'of the piston, I said breather tube being provided with an thetype'wherein the flow through the engine lntake is intermittent, a passae between the crank case and engine inta e for conducting noxious gasesfrom the crank case to the intake, said passage also providing means ofconduit for the incom-in air, said passage having an opening for t e airof such remoteness from the crank case as to provide a store e spacewith-in said passage suflicient to hol the gases substantially dormant,between the compression and suction strokes of the engine.

3. In an internal-combustion engine of the type wherein the flow throughthe engine intake is intermittent, the combination ofka chamberconnected to the engine inta e; noxious gases into said chamber; anopening in said chamber providing a passage to the atmosphere, saidopening being remote from the point gases, whereby said gases areretained within the chamber between successive flow movements throughsaid engine intake.

4. The combination with an internal-combustion engine of; the typewherein the flow I e engine intake is intermittent means forintermittently injecting of injection of said noxious 'and connectedfreely with atmosphere at a point remote from the crankcase, and at an1intermediate point with said engine inta re.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fourcycle engine of the type wherein the flow through the engine intake isintermittent provided with a combustion chamber and a crank case chamberand having a piston operable relative to said chambers; of a breathertube connected to said engine and having a valve operable on the suctionand explosion strokes of the piston to permit communication between thecrank case chamber and the breather tube, whereby the gases contained inthe crank case chamber will be displaced by the operation of the pistonand forced into the breather tube; and an inlet valve operable on thesuction stroke of the piston to permit communication between thebreather tube and the combustion chamber of the engine, whereby thegases forced into the breather tube will be sucked into the combustionchamber of the engine, said breather tube being of such capacity as to.hold, substantially dormant and substantially at atmospheric pressure,the gases expelled thereto from said crank case chamber between thecompression and suction strokes of the engine.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a fourcycle engine of the type wherein the flow through the engine intake isintermittent, having a combustion chamber and a crank case chamber and apiston operable relative to said cham the gases expelled thereto fromsaid crankcase between the compression and suction strokes of theengine.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination with an engineof the type wherein the flow through the engine intake is intermittent,having a combustion chamber and a crank case chamber and a pistonoperable relative to said chambers; a breather tube having communicationwith the crank case chamber and the combustion chamber of the engine; avalve adapted to open and close said communication between the crankcase chamber and the breather tube; said breather tube being of suchcapacity as to hold, substantially dormant and substantially atatmospheric pressure, the

gases expelled thereto from said crank case chamber between thecompression and suction strokes of the engine.

8. In a device of the character described, 7

the combination with an engine or the type wherein the flow through theengine intake is intermittent, including a crank case having a breathertube communicating with the interior thereof; and means for connectingsaid breather tube to the combustion chamber of the engine, saidbreather tube being of such capacity as to hold, substantially dormantand substantially at atmospheric pressure, the gases expelled theretofrom said crank case between the compression and suction strokes of theengine.

9. The combination with an internal-combustion engine of the typewherein the fiow through the engine intake is intermittent, including anintake and a closed crank case; of means connected with said crank caseand said intake for accumulating, substantially at atmospheric pressure,the gaseous content expelled from the crank case and delivering saidcontent mixed with atmospheric air to said intake.

10. In an internal-combustion engine of the type wherein the flowthrough the engine intake is intermittent, a passage between the crankcase and engine intake for conducting noxious gases from the crank caseto the intake, said passage also providing means of conduit for theincoming air, said passage having an opening for the air of suchremoteness from the crank case. as to provide a storage spacewithin saidpassage suflicient to hold the gases substantially dormant, between thecompression and. suction strokes of the engine, and a fuel supply pipeconnected-to said passage at the engine intake end of said passage.

11. In an internal-combustion engine ,of the type wherein the flowthrough the en gine intak is intermittent, the combination of a mixingvalve connected in operative relation to said engine intake; a chamberconnected to the air inlet of said mixing valve; means forintermittently injecting noxious gases into said chamber; an opening insaid chamber providing a passage to the atmosphere, said opening beingremote from the point of injection of said noxious gases, whereby saidgases are retained withthe type wherein the fiow through the engineintake is intermittent, intake and acrank case chamber; of a breatherdevice providing a passage from the crank case chamberto the engineintake for conducting noxious gases from the crank case chamber to theengine intake, said breather device having communication with theatmosphere near the crank case end thereof to provide an air intake; anda fuel supply pipe connected to said passage at the engine intake endthereof.

15. The combination with an internalcombustion engine'comprising anengine of the type wherein the flow through the engine intake isintermittent, intake and a crank case chamber; of a breather devicecomprising a passage connected with the engine intake' and communicatingwith the atmosphere to provide an air intake; a'fuel intakecommunicating with said passage; and a second passage connected with thecrank case chamber and communicating with said first mentioned passagebetween the fuel and the air intakes, said breather device being adaptedto store noxious gases inter:

mittently received from the crank, case chamber.

16. In a device of the kind described, the

combination with an internal-combustion engine having a crank case andan intake, of a breather pipe extending vertically from .thecrank case,a coupling connected with the engine intake and breather pipe andforming a closure for the upper end thereof, said couplin having a passae from the breather to t e intake which inc udes a mixin chamber,- and afuel supply pipe for de ivering a quantity of fuel to the mixing chamberat each suction stroke of the engine. .17. The combination with aninternalcombustion engine comprising an inlet and closed crank case; ofa breather device connected between said crank case and said engineinlet comprising a pair of concentric chambers, the inner chamberconnected at its lower end with the crank case and at its upper end withthe inlet and with the outer chamber, and the outer chamber connected atits lower end wit-hi'atmosphere. 18. The combination; with aninternalcombustion engine comprising an inlet and closed crankcase; of abreather device connected between said crank case and said engine inletcomprising a pair of concentric chambers, the inner chamber connected atits lower end withthe crank case and at its upper end with the engineinlet and with the outer chamber, and the outer chamber conments withpassages therein; a breatherdevice comprlsing outer and inner tubularmembers seating upon.and supported by said abutments to form outer andinner chambers, .said outer chamber connecting with the atmosphere, andsaid inner chamber connecting with the outer chamber and with thepassages in said abutments; and a valve seating on one of said abutmentsto close one end of the inner chamber.

21. The method of operating an internal combustion engine of the typewherein the flowthrough the engine intake is intermittent and in whichpart of the gaseous con-.- tent of the crank case is intermittently eX-'pelled by the down strokes of the engine piston, which consists inaccumulating all such expelled gaseous content in a reservoirsubstantially at atmospheric pressure, and then admitting said gaseouscontent admixed with atmospheric air into the engine combustion chamber.

22. The method of continuously operating an internal-combustion engineof the type wherein the flow through the engine intake is intermittentand in which part of the gaseous content of the crank case isintermittently expelled b the down strokes of the engine piston, w ichconsists in temporarily accumulating such expelled gaseous content in areservoir substantially at atmospheric pressure against return to, thecrank case, and then admittin said gaseous content admixed with atmosperic air into the engine combustion chamber at the next suction strokeof the piston.

23. The method of operating a fourstroke 0 cle engine of the typewherein the flow throu h the on no intake is intermittent inclu ing acylinder and a closed crank case from which a part of the gaseous con-.tent of the crank case is expelled during the during the exhaust strokeof said engine, In testimony whereof I aflix my signature and admittingsaid gaseous content together in the presence of two subscribingWitnesses. 10 Y with atmospheric air into the engine combustion chamberduring the suction stroke CHARLES F. KETTERING. of said engine, Whiledischarging a further part of the gaseous content ofthe crank Witnesses:

case into said reservoir durin the suction J. W. MCDONALD stroke. O. D.MoWRY.

